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Headshave
Head shaving is the practice of shaving the hair from a person's head. At different times and places people have shaved their heads for very diverse reasons: practical, religious, cultural, aesthetic and even sexual. ;so a shaven head has widely varying connotations depending on the context. Description Is a complete haircut, where every hair in the head is razored until the skin gets totaly smooth. Early history The earliest historical records describing head shaving originated in ancient Mediterranean cultures, such as Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The Egyptian priest class ritualistically removed all body hair by plucking. This included hair on the head, eyebrows, and beard. Contexts Military The practice of shaving heads has been used in the military. Although sometimes explained as being for hygiene reasons, the image of strict, disciplined conformity may certainly be a factor. During the allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day, many soldiers chose to have their heads completely shaved, denying the defending Germans something to grab onto when the battle moved to close quarters. For the new recruit, it can be a rite of passage (Induction cut), and variations become a badge of honour (see jarhead). The militaries of the United States, Russia, and several other countries have welcomed their recruits by giving them haircuts using hair clippers with no guard attached. As of 2011, shaved heads continued to be standard haircuts in the United States Air Force, United States Marine Corps, United States Army, and the United States Coast Guard during basic/recruit training - upon graduation from training, grooming restrictions are relaxed in accordance with each service's regulations. In Greece, this practice was abolished on June 25, 1982, when the military started allowing recruits to have up to 4 cm of hair. Before then, the regulation haircut in the Greek army for recruits was en hro (an archaic phrase for "shaved to the bone"). A shaved head continues to be common place in the United States military. There have been traditions spawned from shaving a service members head. Most notable is the tradition of shaving one's head when a service member enters the Mediterranean Sea by ship for the first time, known as "Med Head". Prison and punishment Prisoners commonly have their heads shaven, often ostensibly to prevent the spread of lice, but clearly also as a demeaning measure. Having the head shaved can be a punishment prescribed in law, but also something done as "mob justice", as punishment for associating with occupying Nazis during the war. Religious Many Buddhists, Hajj, pilgrims and Vaisnavas, especially members of the Hare Krishna movement, shave their heads. Some Hindu and most Buddhist monks and nuns shave their heads upon entering their order, and Korean Buddhist monks and nuns have their heads shaved every 15 days. Class Throughout much of the 20th century in many Western countries, head shaving was considered somewhat unusual or lower class. Head shaving was often associated with manual workers such as seamen, dock workers and soldiers, as well as with prisoners and hospital patients. Sport Competitive swimmers will sometimes shave their heads to reduce drag while swimming. Baldness People with alopecia often choose to shave their heads to hide the effects. Those with Alopecia areata and men facing male pattern baldness may choose to shave fully. Michael Jordan, Andre Agassi, Kerry King of Slayer, Rob Halford of Judas Priest, Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins, theoretical physicist Kip Thorne, and actors Bruce Willis and Mark Strong are famous examples. Skinhead and other subcultures In the 1960s, some British working class youths developed the skinhead subculture, whose members were distinguished by short cropped hair (although at that time they didn't shave their heads right down to the scalp). This look was partly influenced by the Jamaican rude boy style. It was not until the skinhead revival in the late 1970s — with the appearance of punk rock- influenced Oi! skinheads — that many skinheads started shaving their hair right down to the scalp. Head shaving has also appeared in other youth-oriented subcultures which include punk, hardcore , metalcore, Nu metal, hip hop, techno music, and neo-nazi scenes. Sexuality, gender and GLBT A sexual fetish involving erotic head shaving action is called a Trichophilia. Gay men sometimes incorporate a shaven head into their overall look. Specifically, the stereotypical "Castro clone" look commonly shave their heads in order to project a homoerotic ultra-masculine image. In the BDSM community, shaving a submissive or slave's head is often used to demonstrate powerlessness, or submission to the will of a dominant. Fundraising and support In solidarity with cancer sufferers, some people chose to shave their heads - particularly as part of fund-raising efforts. (Baldness is a well known side-effect of the chemotherapy often used to treat cancer) Fiction In modern settings, shaved heads are often associated with characters who display a stern and disciplined or hardcore attitude. Examples are Samuel L. Jackson in roles such as Mace Windu and Nick Fury, Yul Brynner, and Vin Diesel, respectively. Goatee beards are often worn to complement the look or add sophistication. In futuristic settings, shaved heads are often associated with bland uniformity, especially in sterile futuristic settings such as THX 1138. See also * Barber * Baldness * Buzz cut * Depilation * Hair * Hair removal * Razor * Shaving * fetishism Category:Shaving Category:fetishism Category:Haircuts